Okhlaiites, Ashram flyover extension work to be completed by February end
Ashram and its adjoining areas will soon be freed from traffic jams as the extension work of the Ashram flyover that is ongoing will be completed by the end of this month.
Using this flyover will allow passengers to bypass 3 traffic lights between Ashram Chowk and DND, making vehicular movement smoother.
On Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister and PWD Minister Manish Sisodia conducted an on-sight inspection to assess the progress of construction work.
Sisodia said it is a herculean task to build a flyover in the middle of such a busy road but the PWD engineers undertook the challenge and delivered.
He said the Ashram flyover extension will be dedicated to the public for their use once the construction work is completed. After the completion of this flyover, lakhs of people commuting from Noida and other parts of Delhi to South Delhi will get rid of traffic jams.
Sisodia observed that this entire Ashram road stretch had been facing severe traffic problems. It is only after the completion of this flyover extension, that passengers will be rid of the traffic problem.
He said it is a very difficult task to build a flyover in the middle of the road given that there was heavy traffic flow, and no permission to stop it. But our engineers overcame all such difficulties to make the construction possible. The flyover extension will be opened for public use after the completion of its construction by this month.
The engineers informed the PWD Minister during the inspection that the vehicular load of the road on which the construction is underway is excessively high, due to which they have to constantly overcome several challenges to keep the work going.
The engineers said all the pillars of the flyover have been erected, along with which, 146 girders have been placed on them. Furthermore, the work of connecting the new and old flyover is also nearing completion.
As per the engineers’ report, more than 95 per cent of the construction work has been finished and the project is currently at the carpeting stage – also being completed on a war footing. Once this is done, the flyover shall finally be ready to be opened out for public use.
Along with the flyover, the road below the flyover shall be beautified and re-carpeted by the PWD and the footpath running along the said road shall also be repaired.
The construction work of the flyover extension started in June 2020 after the project was approved by the Cabinet. However, the work was stalled for a long time due to the closure of construction activities during the Covid-19 lockdown and later due to increase in pollution levels. The permission to start construction work from the traffic police also took almost a year, due to which, the pace of construction work was reduced further.
Once the flyover extension work is completed, it will help in decongesting the Ashram intersection and the surrounding area. After the completion of this project, lakhs of people commuting from Noida and other parts of Delhi to South Delhi will be freed from traffic jams.
At present, vehicles coming and going from Noida and Ghaziabad to South Delhi have to grapple with jams while travelling from the DND loop to Ashram intersection. But after the completion of the flyover extension, people will be freed from this jam. At present, vehicles have to take a long route to cross the road from Kilokari, but soon, 150 meters away from Kilokari to Ring Road, drivers will be able to cross the road by taking a U-turn to reach Maharani Bagh or South Delhi. Similarly, vehicles going from Maharani Bagh to Sarai Kale Khan, Noida, ITO and Ghaziabad will not have to take long detours. A subway for pedestrians is also being constructed here.
Salient features of Ashram Flyover Extension
The total cost of the project is Rs 128.25 crore
6-lane Ashram Extension Flyover
3-lane ramp going from South Delhi to Sarai Kale Khan
3-lane ramp going from ITO and Sarai Kale Khan to South Delhi
Subway for pedestrians at the Maharani Bagh traffic light
LED lights to light up the flyover
Exquisite artwork on the pillars
The total length of the flyover including the ramp is 1425 meters.
